From Machine Shop to Studio
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In 2011, Nate moved back to his home town and happened upon a shop sale at 250 Freeman Street. He was buying scrap steel to build a furnace in his parent's garage. Nate found out that the building was for sale and later purchased the property. Click here to see how Decatur Glassblowing has grown and transformed over time.
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Atlanta native, Nathan Nardi always found himself drawn to creative expression through making.
He discovered his passion for glass blowing in 2001 while at Jacksonville University, where he... Read More. |
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Carli began working for Nate in 2014 before graduating from Georgia State University with a BA in Studio Art. Her professional experience includes corporate marketing and event planning, allowing her to oversee the gallery and all scheduling aspects of the business. When she is not busy with her two daughters, Carli enjoys coaching lacrosse and playing with clay in her pottery studio.
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Upon completion of her BFA: Glass, Abigail lived for several years in Corning, NY where she worked for Corning Museum of Glass and volunteered at local glass studios. She relocated to Atlanta to work for Nate, who was her intro to glass instructor at Kent State University in 2007. Her work is inspired by nature, science fiction and the intersection of mechanics and biology. Abigail's extensive studio experience has translated well into the roles of manager and instructor at Decatur Glassblowing. She is currently pursuing a degree in architecture at Kennesaw State University.
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Carolina Hall
Lead Instructor |
Carolina tried glassblowing for the first time as a senior in high school. Fall of 2012 she attended Hastings College in Hastings, NE and in 2016 graduated with her Bachelors in Studio Arts: Glass. In 2014, she attended a session with Jessica Jane Julius and Erica Rosenfeld at Pilchuck Glass School. From 2015-2016 she was the TA to all intro to glass classes. She then moved to work in the studios in the metro Atlanta area. Her style of work is very whimsical and inspired by everyday life of humans and what makes them work. She began work for Decatur Glassblowing in 2018 as both gallery host and instructor.
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A Wisconsin native, Nicholas has been blowing glass since early 2014. He received his BFA: 3-D from the University of Wisconsin: Stevens Point (UWSP) with an emphasis in glass. By his senior year he was a TA for the beginning glass blowing class and received the “Best of Show” award in a student juried show. After college Nicholas spent time taking commissions and selling work in the Milwaukee area until he accepted a position as an assistant at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio. He now works at Decatur Glassblowing as an instructor and assistant. His dreams are to work diligently towards his Masters of Fine Arts, teach advanced glass blowing, and eventually own his own studio.
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Nicholas Folz
Glassblower & Instructor |
Lee Ritchie
Glassblowing Instructor |
Lee grew up in a small town in northern Illinois. He began glassblowing over 45 years ago at Illinois State University under Joel Phillip Myers. Lee has owned and operated several small glass studios, including the first hot shop in Atlanta in the mid 70's.
Through the years, while raising a family, his interests branched out into teaching, including: Specialty teacher at Atlanta’s Waldorf School, leader in the Boy Scouts, and ultimately in the Atlanta area glass shops. Lee met Nate in 2011 and has been a part of Decatur Glassblowing from it’s beginning. |